Mariners throw out runner at plate to end it, beat Rays 5-4

Sunday

ST. PETERSBURG — Right fielder Mitch Haniger threw out Johnny Field at the plate to end the game, and the Seattle Mariners held off the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 Sunday for their 17th win in 22 games.

Waved home, Field tried to score from first on a two-out, bloop single by Carlos Gomez. Haniger rushed in and made a sliding try, scrambled to retrieve the ball and then unleashed a one-hop throw home that beat Field by a wide margin.

James Paxton struck out 10 and Kyle Seager hit a go-ahead home run for Seattle. Nelson Cruz and Mike Zunino also homered for the Mariners, who took three of four from Tampa Bay.

Paxton (6-1) gave up three runs and five hits in seven innings. The left-hander has allowed just 14 earned runs over 63 2/3 innings in going 5-0 over his last nine starts.

Edwin Diaz got defensive help from Haniger to post his 23rd save.

Seager gave Seattle a 5-3 lead on his seventh-inning drive off Jose Alvarado (0-3).

Wilson Ramos cut the Rays' deficit to 5-4 with an RBI single in the eighth off former Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome. Tampa Bay, which stopped an eight-game skid Saturday, got a homer from C.J. Cron.

Seattle is 21-9 in one-run games, while Tampa Bay dropped to 9-17.

Zunino ended Nathan Eovaldi's day by sending the right-hander's 102nd pitch into the left field seats for a two-run homer that made it 3-all in the sixth.

Eovaldi, making his third start since returning from a second Tommy John surgery in August 2016, allowed three runs and four hits.

After Field doubled in the third and later scored on a grounder by Mallex Smith, Cron had a solo drive and Jake Bauers hit an RBI double that put Tampa Bay up 3-1 in the fourth.

Cron has three hits — all homers — in his last 24 at-bats.

Cruz homered for the second consecutive game, a second-inning solo shot.

Rays shortstop Daniel Robertson experienced left hamstring tightness running out a grounder in the first and was replaced by Joey Wendle.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mariners: Manager Scott Servais said RHP Dan Altavilla has a right forearm flexor mass strain and will be "down for a little while."

Rays: Gomez struck out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, one day being involved in a collison with Bauers while making a diving catch on a foul ball. Gomez said his shin and shoulder are both a little sore.

REHAB TIME

Rays SS Adeiny Hechavarria (right hamstring strain) is scheduled to play for Class A Charlotte on Monday and will be joined by CF Kevin Kiermaier (right thumb torn ligament) Tuesday.